Dissemin is shutting down on January 1st, 2025

Published in

American Geophysical Union, Water Resources Research, 5(46), 2010

DOI: 10.1029/2009wr008168

Links

Tools

Export citation

Search in Google Scholar

A field-scale reactive transport model for U(VI) migration influenced by coupled multirate mass transfer and surface complexation reactions

Journal article published in 2010 by R. Ma, C. Zheng, H. Prommer, J. Greskowiak, C. Liu ORCID, J. Zachara, M. Rockhold
This paper was not found in any repository, but could be made available legally by the author.
This paper was not found in any repository, but could be made available legally by the author.

Full text: Unavailable

Green circle
Preprint: archiving allowed
Green circle
Postprint: archiving allowed
Orange circle
Published version: archiving restricted
Data provided by SHERPA/RoMEO

Abstract

This study explores field-scale modeling of U(VI) reactive transport through incorporation of laboratory and field data. A field-scale reactive transport model was developed on the basis of laboratory-characterized U(VI) surface complexation reactions (SCRs) and multirate mass transfer processes, as well as field-measured hydrogeochemical conditions at the U.S. Department of Energy, Hanford 300 Area (300 A), Washington. The model was used to assess the importance of multirate mass transfer processes on U(VI) reactive transport and to evaluate the effect of variable geochemical conditions caused by dynamic river water-groundwater interactions on U(VI) plume migration. Model simulations revealed complex spatiotemporal relationships between groundwater composition and U(VI) speciation, adsorption, and plume migration. In general, river water intrusion enhances uranium adsorption and lowers aqueous uranium concentration because river water dilution increases pH and decreases aqueous bicarbonate concentration, leading to overall enhanced U(VI) surface complexation. Strong U(VI) retardation was computed for the field-measured hydrogeochemical conditions, suggesting a slow dissipation of the U(VI) plume, a phenomenon consistent with field observations. The simulations also showed that SCR-retarded U(VI) migration becomes more dynamic and synchronous with the groundwater flow field when multirate mass transfer processes are involved. Breakthrough curves at selected locations and the temporal changes in the calculated mass during the 20 year simulation period indicated that uranium adsorption/desorption never attained steady state because of the dynamic flow field and groundwater composition variations caused by river water intrusion. Thus, the multirate SCR model appears to be a crucial consideration for future reactive transport simulations of uranium contaminants at the Hanford 300 A site and elsewhere under similar hydrogeochemical conditions.